We asked some of the star players for the Harrisburg City Islanders who they're keeping an eye on in the 2014 World Cup. All this week we'll be featuring their responses. Be sure to let us know which players or teams you'll be rooting for in the comments section.

During his lone season with Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake, Harrisburg City Islanders defender Raphael Cox had plenty of time and reason to study the likes of midfielder Kyle Beckerman and goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

At training sessions.

In games.

And possibly while just hanging out with teammates.

Now that Beckerman and Rimando are part of the United States contingent headed for Brazil and World Cup 2014 — both will be involved in their first World Cups — we asked the diminutive left back to assess his former teammates.

We'll start with the 32-year-old Beckerman.

"First and foremost with him, I think he's a great leader and a great captain in Salt Lake," said Cox, referring to the five-time MLS all-star. "And I think that leadership role probably carries to the national team as well.

"He's played a lot of minutes at a high level for a long time now, so his experience will be very crucial for the U.S. team if he's used. I hope he's used. He should be. When he comes in playing the defensive center mid role, he's gonna be a good person to sit in there and really clog up the middle and organize us defensively.

"Which is going to be very important playing against great attacking teams such as Portugal, Ghana and Germany."

Can't forget the physical approach Beckerman brings to the pitch.

Raphael Cox of the Harrisburg City Islanders. Joe Hermitt, PennLive

"That's definitely another great positive about his game is he is one of those guys who will do the dirty work for the more-attacking guys in the midfield who can get forward," Cox continued. "They can get forward knowing that he's back there and do what it takes to get everyone back, to get the tackle, get that toughness that the U.S. team needs to advance."

In sum, Beckerman is the prototype sitting in the showroom for those looking for players who ably splice the attackers together with the defenders.

"Exactly," Cox added. "To link everything together. He's great on the ball. And he can spread the ball left, right, in the gaps. It'll be a good spot for him."

Not to mention his hair.

"It's definitely his thing," Cox said of Beckerman's dreads. "I don't know what to say about his hair. ... I don't know how he would look if he didn't have it."

While the 34-year-old Rimando prefers a much-shorter do, both players have been cornerstone players for a Real Salt Lake franchise that claimed the 2009 MLS Cup and fell just short in 2013. Rimando was MVP of the 2009 title game.

"Since he hasn't had a lot of national team minutes, I think what he's done in Salt Lake has shown that he can do it at a high level," Cox said of the three-time MLS all-star. "He's been doing it with Salt Lake, who's a team that's been great defensively for the past few years.

"He's been a great leader, a great locker room guy for them forever. So I think [U.S. manager Jurgen] Klinsmann looks at that and says this is one of those guys that he knows he doesn't have as great of a shot to get some minutes, but I think he's one of those good locker room guys still to have around and be a good leader for the younger guys who also might not get a lot of time," Cox added.

"Like the Julian Greens, to look at the professionals like, 'You know what? He's taking it in stride, he's doing what's best for the team, now what can I do?' "

Yet even though the undersized Rimando (5-9, 185) may be sitting below Tim Howard and Brad Guzan on the Americans' depth chart, he has found ways to compete — despite his lack of length and bulk between the posts.

"I don't think any of the guys on the U.S. team, if Rimando ended up getting in the game, would feel uncomfortable with him back there," Cox continued. "He's got great feet when the ball comes back to him. Great shot-stopper. And he talks a lot and he's a great organizer.

"So it's just one of those things where you have one of the best keepers in the World Cup ahead of you [Howard] and another great backup in Guzan. It's one of those unfortunate things, but I think he's happy to be in that situation."

Beckerman, Rimando and the rest of the American side will open Group G action — Group G snugly carries the tag "Group of Death" — on Monday against Ghana. It's the third consecutive World Cup in which the Ghanaians and Americans will meet.

Before concluding round-robin play, the U.S. will meet Portugal on June 22 and Germany on June 26.